


New Kind of Hero

by AvatarKatara (Adi_Bug)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, I'm not going to tag a lot bc i dont want to spoil it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4064122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adi_Bug/pseuds/AvatarKatara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avatar Aang's era has ended and a new Waterbender will be the Avatar. To become a fully realized Avatar, she must first master water. Then earth, fire, and finally air. But the elements can't all be mastered in one year, so she travels the world, learning the nuances of the elements and navigating teenagerdom. Who knows, she might just save the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Avatar Cycle

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where Roku stopped Sozin from wiping out the Air Nomads, so Aang was born at Roku's timely death. Aang fulfilled his duties as Avatar and when he passed, a new Avatar was born into the Water Tribe. This is NOT a Korra AU. This uses only characters from A:TLA and alters some of the early episodes and some of the "fillers" for inspiration.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Avatar has been discovered but goes home, as she's only a child. At 16, she'll return and discover her fate and move forward with her destiny.

Laughter and dancers swirled around a young girl as she watched bright colors mix around her with grace. She smiled, blue eyes bright with excitement at the activity. Her home was nowhere near as exciting. Her father walked ahead of her mother, who held the child’s hand tightly. The small family hurried along, intent on meeting the Council on time. Hakoda, her father, traveled each year to the Festival of the Four Nations, and being their chief, he became their ambassador as well. When the Council of Nations requested his daughter be brought, he didn’t hesitate.

The Council of Nations met every year at the Festival of the Four Nations, a celebration of the war Avatar Roku had avoided with Fire Lord Sozin, a reminder of how the four nations are needed for balance. In the spirit of Avatar Roku’s accomplishment, Avatar Aang created a city without affiliation, a city where benders and non-benders could coexist without needing a “nation.” The celebration was held every year in Republic City, at Avatar Aang’s request, to really celebrate the peace. For a Water Tribe girl, it was incredibly exciting and overwhelming.

Two Waterbenders had been born the same day Avatar Aang had died, within minutes of each other. The other girl was named Yue and was from the Northern Water Tribe. They had met only once and the Southern Water Tribe chieftain's daughter had felt lesser than the beautiful, moon-haired princess. However, at two years old, the Southern Water Tribe girl was already showing signs of being a Waterbender. Sokka of course had been on the receiving end of her new found abilities a time or two. (There had also been a few troubling instances of the fire intensifying around the girl when she was frustrated.)

(Which was often for a two year old.)

She felt nervous about the meeting as she passed through the crowd quickly, stumbling to keep up with her mother. There was so much activity, and it made her nervous. She was used to the quiet calm of the Southern Water Tribe and Republic City scared her. She had just gotten a handle on her nerves when a small body ran into her at full speed.

"Ow!" she cried as she was knocked onto the cobbles, scraping her hands as she went.

"Oh!" her mother said, picking her up and dusting her off, using water from the pouch at her side to heal the small wounds. "Are you alright, little one?" When her daughter nodded, Kya turned to see if the little boy who ran into her was alright as well.

"Sorry," the little boy said, standing and dusting himself off, looking at Katara's mother. Kya smiled at him reassuringly, asking if he had hurt himself. He shrugged and hid his hands behind his back. When Kya started to ask him again, his mother came jogging over.

"Zuko! Do not run off from me!" A tall, regal looking lady walked over, her face strict and soft at the same time. He grabbed his mother’s hand and hid in her skirts, ignoring the Water Tribe citizens.

The mothers chatted briefly after exchanging apologies before the clock struck the hour. Hakoda ushered Kya along, bading the Fire Nation citizens farewell. The girl turned to watch the little boy and his mother, but they disappeared as they weaved through the thick crowd. When they reached their destination, Kya pushed her daughter forward gently and backed away quickly, leaving her there feeling scared and alone. There was the moon-haired princess next to her, but she barely knew the girl.

The four people that sat in front of them looked mean and scary and made her quiver on the inside. She was afraid to talk to these men and women who would decide her fate. Two people walked in with a large, rolled, lumpy canvas. Setting it down gently, they unrolled it slowly to reveal many small toys. Yue was called forward to pick out four toys of her choosing and set them on the table. The young girl with the white hair of an old woman stared at the toys for a long moment and gingerly picked four wooden toys at random and took them up to the Council, placing them on the simple wooden table. They examined the toys and whispered quietly and sent Yue back to her mother, her toys in hand.

Next, the Council called her up, after the four toys had been replaced. She stared at the toys warily, knowing the fate they just earned Yue. Her sapphire eyes wandered up and down the long canvas row of simple toys. First, her hands reached for a small, clay lion-turtle; its eyes sparkled and spoke of a million secrets.Then she found a pull-string propeller toy that made joy bubble up in her chest. A small wooden monkey caught her eye next and she placed it gently next to the turtle, thinking that the two could be friends. And finally, a wooden hand drum. When she picked it up and gave it a twirl, it made a sound that warmed her heart. She carefully carried them up to the watchful members of the Council and with great care, placed the objects in front of them, one by one. The wizened men and women looked at each other, seeming to share thoughts with looks alone this time.

Katara was sent back to her mother was well, along with her toys, and the two families were dismissed, the Chiefs staying behind. She assumed her father would discover who the Avatar was, but she wouldn’t know until she was sixteen. Still, she got new toys out of it and happiness flooded her system.

Her GranGran and her brother joined her outside the council’s meeting house and they blended into the activities. They watched shows and ate food and sang and danced until dark had long settled over Republic City. People slowly trickled from the city center and back to their respective spaces for the night. The Southern Water Tribe envoy made their way back to their ship, where they slept before setting sail for home the next morning.

* * *

“Yue!” the Southern Water Tribe girl ran to the Northern princess and the two embraced, smiles on their faces.

“It’s good to see you again, Katara,” Yue said, her voice genuine. While they waited for the Council to summon them, they told stories of the last several years apart. Because of their fathers' status, they saw each other once a year, but as they grew older, the visits became every other year, then every few, then...they stopped.

it didn't stop the girls from writing however. 

So now they told each other the stories they left out, or the ones that happened between their recent letters. Katara recounted Sokka getting two fishhooks stuck in his fingers and how she split an iceberg in two because Sokka kept insulting her. Yue talked of her ridiculous suitors and the things they tried to gain favor with her father and how Pakku was very reluctant to teach Yue, a _girl_ , but couldn't deny the fact she could be the Avatar so he trained her anyway.

Laughter gave way to comfortable silence as the girls sat next to each other, soaking in the sun and enjoying the festival. After a large Earth Kingdom parade, the Council called the two girls into the small house. They sat in front of the council on the cushions, tension visible in the room. Two lives were about to change, and neither of them knew which fate they wanted.

The muffled clatter of hollow wood objects startled both Water Tribe girls, drawing their attention back to the serious situation they were sitting in. There was a small canvas mat laid in front of them.They were between the girls and the Council members. The White Lotus members removed the top canvas to reveal a clay lion-turtle, a small wooden hand drum, a pull-string propeller and a wooden monkey. Yue frowned while Katara’s eyes widened.

“My toys!” the Southern girl exclaimed without thought. She had abandoned those toys when her Waterbending training became more serious as she aged. Katara watched as a smile spread from one council member to the next, spreading hope through her deadened limbs. It was the Earth representee who spoke, his voice sounding like dark, warm soil after rain.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, you have chosen the toys of your past reincarnations. You are the next Avatar."


	2. Training with the Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Pakku is...stubborn, to say the least. But he's the best for a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is really long but I'm honestly proud of it

Katara and Yue sat in shocked silence. The Master Waterbender spoke first, her voice smooth and calm as the element she had mastered.

"You will need to master all four elements. Have you mastered Water?" Katara nodded and sat patiently with wide blue eyes staring curiously at the panel of people who decided her fate. She took the water pouch she carried with her and pulled the cap off, drawing the water out steadily. She drew it into a ball and expanded it, leisurely moving around in a graceful dance, pulling the water into shapes as she went. Another look was shared between the Council and they nodded to Katara, who returned her water back to her canteen, after taking a few drops for herself.

"I can heal with water, too," she added in a small voice. That seemed to solidify the Council's decision. The female Firebender stood, signaling the rest to stand. A decision seemed to be reached without words, but Katara realized this had been decided when she was here eight years ago.

"You will return with Princess Yue and train with Master Pakku to ensure you’ve completely Mastered water. Then you will move to the Earth Kingdom to train there." The answer was definite and Katara knew it was useless to argue. The four members left without a word, leaving the Avatar and her friend alone. Katara let out a small sigh. Things would never be the same.

After they regained their composure, they went outside and Katara looked at her family, who waited patiently for a response.

“So, what happened?” Hakoda asked, pulling her in for a hug. When she extracted herself from his arms, she looked at him. Then Sokka, whose face was stuffed with some sort of food from the festival. Finally her mother, whose smile was gentle and kind.

“I’m the Avatar?” Katara whispered. She knew she was a strong bender from a young age, surprising the benders in the Southern Tribe. Healing wasn’t her strong suit, but she was good for her age.

“Oh honey,” Kya said, pulling her in for another hug.

“My sister’s the Avatar! That’s amazing!” Sokka grins wide, grease on his face and meat stuck in his teeth. Katara laughed but the sudden weight of a thousand-year mantle sobered her quickly. The Avatar. People all over the world were going to know her name and her face.

“I’m not sure how I feel about it,” she admitted. Hakoda took in her solemn features and asked when she leaves and where she’s going.

“I leave once the festival is over, with Princess Yue to train with Master Pakku. Then I’ll move onto the Earth Kingdom, but I have no idea who I’ll train with.”

“You’re here for the festival so why not enjoy it?” Sokka said, acutely aware of Katara’s distress. “Maybe we can go win some of those Waterbending games!” He suggested, knowing it would earn him an exasperated eye roll.

“I guess that’s all there is to do now…” She says slowly. Sokka’s grin is contagious and Katara returns it. Her parents smile as well and the four of them set off into the depths of the festival, looking for excitement on their last day together for awhile.

* * *

The family spent their day stuffing themselves full of sweets and exotic foods, enjoying games and shows, because they didn't know when they would get to see each other again. After the fireworks, they made their way to the docks. Yue had already boarded the boat when Katara’s family met them on the dock.

“I’ll visit you guys before heading to the Earth Kingdom,” she promised, hugging everyone tightly. Tears gathered in her eyes when she hugged her mother and knew her heart would ache when they weren’t with her. Family was everything to Katara

"You will be okay, my darling. I'll see you when the time is right." Kya removed the necklace her husband had given her on their wedding day. "Take this, Katara, and know that I am always close to your heart and will always help you in times of need." Shocked, Katara touched the necklace as her mother tied it to her neck.

“Mom…”

“Hush, Katara, and accept it as a gift. This isn’t goodbye.” Her mother kissed her forehead and Katara felt heavy with sadness. Hakoda crushed her to him in a tight hug and tears rolled down her cheeks. It was only when she looked at Sokka did a sob tear itself from her throat. They hug each other tightly and Katara feels Sokka’s tears on her shoulder.

“Please come visit me,” she says as she pulls away and wipes her eyes.

“We’ll try, Katara,” her father promises, kissing her head one last time. Avatar Katara boarded the ship and joined Princess Yue on the main deck. Katara waved until her arm hurt and no one was visible from the shore. Emotionally drained, Katara turned to look at Yue.

“Are you...upset you're not the Avatar?” Katara asked awkwardly. This whole situation was kind of awkward, as they knew it was between the two of them. Yue never resented Katara as a child, as Katara had never resented Yue. But now…

“I had a feeling you were the Avatar. If I had been chosen by Raava, I would not have needed the support of the Moon Spirit to live through my first day in this world. I owe the Moon Spirit a debt. I believed I would never need to be the bridge between the worlds, when part of a spirit lived inside me,” Yue explained kindly.

“But you have leadership experience,” Katara countered. She knew questioning why she was chosen was pointless, but she needed to control _one_ thing in her life.

“As do you, _Princess_ Katara.”

“You know we don’t use those titles in the South…” Katara said, blushing slightly. Yue laughed and moved towards the mid-deck. Not wanting to follow her, Katara turned towards the front of the ship and started pulling the water. The rhythm, the push and pull, allowed Katara to let her worries flow behind her floating in the river. Surprised, the captain came to talk to Katara, thanking her for giving them favorable currents. She heard him, nodding sharply but not responding in words. She was concentrating too hard for that.

It would take about a week to reach the North Pole, but with a few hours of bending, Katara had shaved a day and a half of sailing off their trip.

“I can bend more tomorrow, so we reach where the North Pole sooner,” she told the captain at dinner that night.

“Eager to begin training?” he said, chuckling softly.

“More like nervous,” she admitted. He nodded and turned to look out at the water without another word.

The rest of the voyage continued in much of the same way: Katara bent the water as long as she wanted and then rested with Yue. In no time, they reached the large beautiful gates of the Northern Water Tribe.

“Holy spirits!” Katara cried. She ran to the side of the ship and excitedly stared at the city as they entered. Waterbenders raised the locks and gently pushed the ship into the city. The ship floated through the city, drifting under bridges and past taller buildings than they have at home. People stopped to wave and whisper about the boat returning with their princess and a different Water Tribe girl.

In no time, they reached the castle and disembarked. Chief Arnook and his wife met Yue with a hug.Katara's heart ached as she remembered her family was on the other side of the world. When the Chief pulled away, he greeted Katara with a warm smile, and to her surprise, a hug as well.

“Welcome Avatar Katara, it is an honor to meet you. You may stay with my family for the duration of your training.” His invitation warms Katara a little and she smiles gratefully.

“Thank you, Chief Arnook. This is…a shocking discovery and it will be nice to have some normalcy.”

“Come, you must meet Master Pakku,” Yue said, excitement threading through her voice. She gripped Katara’s hand and tugged her to an open deck. Below it sat the ocean, an arch of ice and snow sitting far back. Water barrels sat scattered about in groups. When Katara and Yue stopped beneath the arch, there were a few students of varying levels practicing.

Two students pushed and pulled the water between them, gentle and easy. They couldn’t be more than seven. Two older students practiced water whips, one slashing, the other blocking with a solid arm of ice. Then they’d switch. Neither group stood in one place, their feet in constant motion.

Another set of students were battling near the edge of the deck, no other students around. One seemed to be on the offense as a white haired man came after him. The man controlled large amounts of water and quickly incapacitated his student.

Master Pakku.

He walked towards his student and corrected his form and told him how to fix all that he did wrong. When he was done, the student went back to shifting the water like the younger students.

Master Pakku made his way over to Yue and Katara. Once he stood next to them, he sized Katara up. She turned red under his gaze, and she was sure it was from anger. His face showed his obvious disdain of the new Avatar and it made Katara’s blood boil.

“They told me you were already a Master,” he started.

“I only said I think I am. I have no one who is a true Master in the South to train me. I learned what I could from the Waterbenders there but I would never claim to be a Master, sir.” She bowed, her fist covered by her curved hand. Still, Pakku eyed her with disdain.

“Our tribe doesn’t teach women how to fight.” Katara stared up at him in shock.

“But I’m the Avatar! I have to master water!” she retorted. She could feel her temper starting to rise, as it often did when Sokka underestimated her abilities. “You taught Yue to Waterbend!” Katara gestured sharply to Yue beside her, the ice cracking between them.

“Katara…” Yue warned, but Katara ignored her.

“Yagoda teaches women how to heal, you may go to her tent and learn there,” Pakku said. Katara knew he had to be testing her, provoking her so she’d use her full abilities, but even though logic told her this, another part of her didn’t care and was willing to fight him. Her fists clenched and the ice cracked more, twisting underneath her hand a little. Pakku looked at her haughtily and something in Katara broke.

“Your traditions tell you I’m less than you because I’m a woman. I’ll be down there if you’re man enough to fight me!” She pointed behind her, the ice cracking all the way to the stairs. Katara turned stalked along the crack in the ice and down the snowy stairs, yanking off her overcoat. She didn’t turn to look and see if Pakku was following. 

When she heard the crunch of the snow of the steps, she turned around and said to him, “So, you decided to show up?” but he simply ignored her with a demeaning haughtiness and calmly walked past her, his eyes set to the horizon.

“Aren’t you going to fight?” she called after him, slipping into a fighting stance.

“Go back to the healing huts with the other women, where you belong.” Katara couldn’t see the small smirk on his face, but she knew it was there all the same.

She pulled a water whip from a small snow pile left by her boots and slashed it across the space between her and Pakku, smacking him in the back of the head. The Master stopped in his tracks and turned to face Katara, anger distorting his face. Smug satisfaction filled Katara, but it wasn’t long lived.

“Fine! You want to learn from a Master so bad, study closely!” Immediately, he pulled two large streams of water from the pools. Katara ran at him in a wide arc, only to be pushed away by the two large streams. She landed on her feet, her eyes immediately following the stream of water Pakku whipped around himself.

He pulled the water into a tight circle, forcing Katara to step closer to him. Her stance was stable as she advanced, looking for a weakness in Pakku she could exploit. She panicked, the water moving too close for her liking.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you!” Pakku yelled over the roaring of the water. Angered again by Pakku’s belittling comment, Katara pushed the water aside, straight into a bystander who yelped as they fell into the snow. Pakku pulled up the snow, creating a ramp of ice to barricade himself. Knowing she couldn’t break through the ice, Katara ran, sliding over the ice and, using a small blast of air, pushed herself into a flip, landing on her feet behind Pakku. 

The post on the staircase of snow made the perfect battlement. 

As Pakku turned the icy ramp into a wave of water, Katara fixed her stance, icing her feet over. Pakku’s wave came straight for her, but Katara redirected it into little water droplets that dispersed around her.

“You can’t knock me down,” she told Pakku, a firmness in her voice. She leapt from her post and ran at Pakku, her arms already moving to deflect his oncoming attack, as if she knew what was coming next. Close enough now, Katara threw her hands out and blocked his attacks, her punch narrowly missing Pakku’s face. While she was distracted and off balance, Pakku knocked Katara into one of the practice pools on the open deck. 

Pakku was smug, thinking he’d defeated this silly little girl, Avatar or not. Now she’d learn some respect.

Katara stood slowly from the pool, breathing hard from the exertion. Despite the exhaustion in her limbs (she’d never fought this long or hard), she raised a column of ice from the pool. She could distantly hear little girls cheering for her, but the noise was unimportant as she focused on her battle.

Rapidly, she flung razor thin pieces of ice at Pakku. He deflected each of them, but she kept throwing them, knowing he would slip up. One narrowly missed him, and Katara caught his reflection in the ice. A stream of water quickly followed as she leapt from the pool, pushing it towards Pakku. He pulled it and threw it around himself, forming a totem of water behind him. 

As Katara ran at him, he pulled it in front of him, knocking her back and off her feet. The hard ice stung Katara’s hands and knees, but she ignored the icy pain as she regained composure, trying to catch her breath. Pieces of her hair had come undone and hung around her face but she brushed them out of her face. Exhaling suddenly and furrowing her brow, Katara jumped back onto her feet, grabbing two large totems of snow as she did, toppling them towards Pakku. Unfazed, he dissolved the snow into flakes and they softly drifted around Katara and Pakku.

“Well, I’m impressed,” he said, not dropping his stance. “You are an excellent Waterbender.”

“But you still won’t teach me, will you?” Katara said quietly, her face still determined.

“No,” Pakky said in a monotone voice. Frustrated, Katara sent a rolling wave of ice towards him, but Pakku raised a block of ice above Katara’s ground range. He rode the ice block as if he were surfing toward Katara, and in an attempt to disrupt him, Katara threw a wave at him. The stream was diverted by Pakku and he turned it to ice. Using his momentum, Pakku slid around the frozen wave, barreling towards Katara. His close proximity to Katara startled her and she stumbled to move away from him.

On the ground and her hair in her face, Pakku was shielded from her view. While he settled himself into his stance, Katara attempted to catch her breath and push her fully loose hair out of her face. He used her momentary distraction to raise a huge column of water from one of the pools. It rapidly formed into a whirlpool before freezing into long shards of ice. He flung them at Katara, trapping her in the ice.

“This fight is over,” he said as he walked past her, arms folded calmly behind his back.

“I’m not finished,” Katara said. She struggled against the ice, grunting in frustration. 

“Yes, you are,” Pakku said with finality. She  _ refused _ to let him best her like this. Like it or not, she was the Avatar and she needed to master water.

“I said, I’m not  _ finished _ !” Her feet shifted in the snow and the ice fell to the ground in shards. Astonished, the Waterbending Master turned around at see Katara in a fighting stance again. Crystalline shard sang as they pushed themselves through the snow like daisies, making it impossible for Pakku to move.

“Will you teach me now?” she asked, glaring at him.


	3. Stubborn as Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luckily, Waterbending was easily mastered. Now, onto Earthbending. It proves to be more difficult, but Katara makes a few new friends in Ba Sing Se, though being the Avatar gets in the way of some things.

Lessons with Pakku didn’t last long. Katara was already close to becoming a Master Waterbender and she was a quick learner.

* * *

 As the sun rose, Katara bowed to Master Pakku, who bowed back. There was a small smirk on his face that Katara knew was pride and slight admiration.

“Congratulations, Master Katara. You have finished your Waterbending training and are now a Master.” Elated, Katara let out a small squeal of delight and hugged Pakku. He tensed under her embrace before reluctantly wrapping his arms around her loosely.

“So I guess I’m leaving the North Pole,” she said quietly. Pakku only nodded silently. A few details were exchanged between them before Katara met with Chief Arnook and his council, Pakku included.

“An Earthbending Master has been located for you,” Arnook informed her. “You are to sail to Gaoling, in the Earth Kingdom.” Katara zoned out while the council talked around her about how she’ll get there. Worries started to flood Katara’s head about learning another element. Pakku often berated her for being so hardheaded like an Earthbender, but she wasn’t sure how well she would adapt.

I guess I should be good at that, he thought. _Being a Waterbender and all_.

Hours passed and finally, they adjourned the meeting for lunch and Katara stood. Stretching, she wandered to the deck, staring out at the open ocean. Excitement and fear warred inside her. She squinted against the sun barely gracing the horizon and believed she could make a difference in the world as the Avatar. The next step was to master earth. How hard could that really be?

* * *

“Come on, Sugar Queen! Keep your knees high!” her teacher yelled. Katara balanced a small boulder on her shoulders as the small blind Earthbender yelled from the side. Toph adjusted Katara’s stance and yelled at her some more before Katara threw the rock off her back, exhausted.

“I didn’t tell you to stop!” Toph shouted, kicking Katara sharply in the leg.

“I may be trying to move stone, Toph, but I am not made of it. I need a damn break.” Katara bent moisture from the air to take a drink, not bothering to reach for her water pouch. After a few minutes sitting, Katara stood again.

“I want to try that blindfold thing again,” she said calmly. “I want to understand how the earth moves before I try to move it again myself.” Looking oddly pensive, Toph nodded and handed Katara the white strip of fabric they had been using. Water whips in both hands, Katara widened her stance and settled. She heard the grind of the rock as it left the ground but lost the sound as they whooshed through the air. The small rocks hit Katara’s shoulders and she gritted her teeth, digging her stance further into the ground.

“Again,” she said. The process was repeated until Katara started to sense the rocks. Vibrations bounced off everything they could, including the rocks flying through the air. Her water whips slashed through the rocks until reluctantly, Toph stopped.

“Took you long enough, Sugar Queen.” Katara glared at Toph through the blindfold but knew Toph couldn’t see it. Still, it felt nice to be annoyed.

“It’s been a month, Toph.” Katara stood from her stance, legs aching, arms arching. She brushed the dust from her green tunic. Toph insisted being surrounded by the earth and all its associates to help her. Meaning her normal blues get ditched every morning for the stark green and gold of the Earth Kingdom.

“Again, it took you long enough.”

Exasperated, Katara turned towards the home she’d been lodged in for the month. Toph lived with her, which was...pleasant to say the least. The worst part was, it was just the two of them. No one else was nearby, except the cook who only stayed to prepare for meals. Katara missed the hustle and bustle of people who needed to work together to survive. The Earth Kingdom was...spacious and empty, even with the millions of people who lived there.

The emptiness felt worse the closer it got to her birthday. She missed her family. Six months she’d been away from them. Never had she stayed away from them, or people she knew. Now she was in a foreign country with an asshole instructor and rare contact between her and her parents. She missed everything about her family, GranGran’s sea prunes, her mom’s hugs, her dad’s laughter, and she even missed Sokka’s bad jokes. Toph sort of made up for that with horrible puns, but she lacked the loving nature of a lifelong brother.

Case in point? Toph was currently berating Katara and her poor form over a bowl of noodles. Which she was slurping loudly. Very loudly. And she wasn’t bothering to wipe her face. But as annoyed as Katara was, she saw it as a side effect of being the Avatar. She _did_ have to learn how to handle _all kinds_ of people. This was just a different type of training.

That’s what she told herself.

Of course, repeating _this is for a good cause_ in her head only got her so far.

“Spirits damn it, Toph! I’m tired of you just criticizing me! I need time to learn these elements and one damn month isn’t enough! So quit telling me how bad my form is or how lazy I am or whatever else you come up with!” Katara slammed her open hand on the table and stood from the table, turning on her heel and stalking out. Toph didn’t move from the table, a smirk settling on her face.

* * *

Frustrated, Katara stalked through Ba Sing Se. She was pissed off at the spirits for giving her this destiny, at her family for letting her go alone, and for everyone expecting her to master the elements in a short amount of time. The world wasn’t in any amount of immediate danger but everyone wanted her to be ready for anything. _Anything_ , she decided, could wait.

In her rapid departure, Katara had forgotten her meal. She was currently starving, and thanks to the White Lotus, she had some money to spend on tea and dumplings.

She ducked inside the first tea shop she saw, a large white building with a green sign proudly bearing the name Jasmine Dragon. When she walked in, her eyes slid over the busy room and found a small table in the corner. Katara settled at the low table and waited for a boy no older than her to walk over to her.

“What can I get for you?” he asked, a charming smile on his face. Katara was stunned a brief moment before smiling back. This was still knew to her, tea houses and eating out in general. In the tribe, the meals were shared with family and friends. The Southern Water Tribe still wasn’t big enough to warrant “restaurants” like these.

“Whatever your special is, and dumplings maybe?” She looked up at him hopefully. He smirked slightly and leaned in conspiratorially.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said quietly before turning and sauntering off. Katara watched him, her thoughts drifting around her mind like an idle current. She mumbled her thanks absently as the tea boy returned with her spicy dumplings and what smelled like spiced ginseng tea. Her thoughts flowed around her like Pakku taught her, but they still kept her distracted. They kept her from seeing a teenage boy stand from the table behind hers and trip on his feet.

Instinct took over while her mind was distracted and quickly raised a small rock to catch and steady the teen. He gaped at her, as did the entire shop, before she realized what was going on.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. Katara hurriedly stood and as she did knocked into the tea boy, sending scalding hot water towards the stunned teen standing behind her. Katara’s hand shot out, the water turning to mist as it came into contact with the teen. Sheepishly, and blushing furiously, Katara opened the door and pushed the mist out the door.

“Sorry?” Embarrassed, Katara turned to face the teen she just assaulted and she was shocked. The left side of his face held a severe burn, affecting his left eye. His long black hair hung in his face, softening the sharp edges and mostly hid his eyes but underneath Katara could see hints of gold.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention and I guess my Earthbending training _is_ paying off and I saw you even though I didn’t even _know_ you were there! And then the water, well that was just instinct, I’ve been bending water since I was three but earth is still new and _frustrating_ and–”

“Avatar?” He asked. Katara nodded jerkily, part of her reacting oddly to the title, but she was distracted by his voice. His voice was raspy, but in a good way. His tone was polite and serious and made Katara feel like a child again. She was the Avatar, for spirits’ sake. Her run on sentences should at least be a little shorter.

“Katara,” she said by way of replacement. The teen bowed, his hands folded in the way of the Fire Nation.

“Avatar Katara, it is an honor to meet you,” he said, still bowing. Slowly he stood and offered her a small smile. “I’m glad the spirits decided today was a good day for me to be clumsy.” Katara let out a shocked laugh. Shocked mostly at his audacity. _Flirting_ . With _her._

 _And she was flirting back_.

“And your name?” He shuffled a little awkwardly before taking a deep breath.

“Lee,” he said quickly, a slight flush on the tops of his cheeks.

“An honor to meet you, Lee. Unfortunately, my Earthbending teacher is as formidable as her element, so I should be going now.” Katara placed several coins on the table before making her way to the door.

She felt Lee before she heard him. _Toph really is getting through to me,_ she thought absently as she turned around.

“Can I see you again?” he asked tentatively. Surprised, Katara nodded.

“I’d like that.” Using some paper snagged from a nearby tea boy, Katara wrote directions to her and Toph’s place.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Katara said. He nodded quickly and Katara turned and made her way down the steps and disappeared into the crowd.

“Nephew! Your break is over, come help me with these dumplings!” Lee turned to see his uncle holding up a large tray full of dumplings. He tied his apron in place before turning alleviate some of the weight from his aging uncle.

The rest of the evening, Lee could feel the paper rustling in his pocket and every time, it brought a smile to his face. His uncle, who had been worried about his nephew’s path, was relieved. Maybe this would be good for him.

* * *

Katara made her way back to her shared home. The moment she entered the main room, Toph turned her head slightly, more to allow her to hear better than to look at Katara.

“Have fun?” she asked lightly, but Katara didn’t need Toph’s abilities to hear the slight malice in her tone and she refused to sink to her petty level.

“Yes, Toph, I did. And I’m going out tonight,” Katara said, trying to keep the joy from her voice as to avoid Toph’s further teasing. But she should have known Toph could feel her heartbeat.

“I can hear your heartbeat, Sugar Queen. Have a good time, I guess.” Huffing, Toph turned away and went back to whatever it was she was doing. Briefly confused by her lack of teasing, Katara started to say something, but changed her mind and snapped her jaw shut.

Katara went through the house to the back training area. She had Earthbended today on instinct and she wanted to see if she could do it again without the pressure.

She slid her foot across the warm stone.

Nothing.

Using water, Katara moved a few rocks to random positions around the training area. She tried again, focusing on how she saw Lee before she really saw him. Katara shifted her foot  again. The stone radiated warmth into her feet but Katara blocked out the feeling; she was looking for something more concrete than the fleeting last heat of the sun.

She kept shifting her feet like Toph did until she felt the smallest hint of something on her peripheral. Again, her foot disturbed the small pebbles.

And she _saw_.

The three rocks! And the pebbles and the steps and Toph–

Toph?

“Have you been watching this whole time?” Katara asked, not turning to look at Toph. Eyes still closed, Katara started moving through the forms, trying to move the rocks. Once she _saw_ , everything was visible.

Slowly, she moved the rocks through the air. Then she broke them into pieces and reformed them. She pulled new ones from the stone beneath her and then replaced them.

Her eyes never opened.

When she felt finished, Katara stood from her position and opened her eyes. Toph had a look of pride on her face from where she sat on the porch.

“You did well, Katara.” The small girl got up and went inside without another word, or criticism.

Shock. That was all she felt. Toph not only have her a compliment but she also called her by her name. Toph called her Katara.

Elated, Katara ran into the house to get ready for her night out with Lee. She had never been on a date before and she was excited this was her first.

While she bathed, she wondered about his scar and where it came from. As she braided her hair, Katara decided she wouldn’t ask. It wasn’t her business and it was his story to tell when he was ready. It seemed like it wasn’t a “first date” kind of story either.

Katara was nervous. She tugged her braid undone, feeling it looked too stiff and formal, but left her signature hair loops. One of the nice things about the Earth Kingdom was she didn’t have to keep her hair out of her way to help tend hearths and cook and generally do any work. She could wear her hair down as long as she wished.

Once her hair was to her liking, Katara had nothing left to do. But instead of pacing, Katara worked through bending forms in the main sitting area with Toph. Anything to keep her mind focused without getting nervous.

“The boy is here,” Toph said. A knock came seconds later and Katara rolled her eyes. When she opened it, she was greeted with a nervous looking Lee.

“Katara! Hi!” He hastily thrust a handful of flowers towards her, which she gratefully accepted. A rock vase filled with some water from a dish was created and the flowers deposited in it.

“Ready?” she asked once her brief bending was finished. Lee nodded sharply, looking intensely nervous now.

Katara called her goodbyes to Toph who grunted and the two set off for a high end dumplings place. There was a companionable silence between them as they made their way to the shop. The streets were mostly empty in the evening light, only a few people wandering around find a place to eat, or others on dates like her and Lee, or wandering into some tavern. Once the two arrived at the restaurant, the silence turned more a little more awkward.

“So why did you come to Ba Sing Se?” Katara asked, pushing her dumplings around the plate. She was starving, but her family had taught her manners, which meant no eating like Toph in front of strangers or boys.

“My uncle and I have been travelling for a bit,” he explained. His words were short, as if he didn’t know how to talk about himself much. The conversation started to fizzle, but Katara grabbed onto the last dying spark quickly.

“Oh? What for?” She leaned in, curious to know why he was traveling. She _really_ wanted to know what he’d seen. As part of being the Avatar, she will get to travel often and the thought excited her.

“We were...part of a traveling circus,” he said. Katara knew it was a lie, but she played along anyway. He had a good reason to lie, and it was not up to her and understand why.

“What did you do in the circus? Wait! Lemme guess…” Biting her lip, Katara stared at Lee intently, trying to figure out his act. “You...juggled.” He hesitated before nodding.

“Yup, I juggled.” His deadpanned voice threw her off a little and she was unsure if she wanted to continue. But when had she ever backed down from a challenge?

“Will you show me?” Before Lee could answer, Katara had enthusiastically thrust several pieces of fruit into his hands. Not wanting to disappoint, Lee threw the pieces of fruit into air, prepared to catch each of them. He succeeded in catching none of them, a piece of riper fruit splattering on his head. Katara smiles and wipes the small amount of pulp from her face and offers her napkin to him.

“I haven’t practiced for awhile…” he said sheepishly. Lee wiped the exploded fruit from his hair, shaking out what he couldn’t wipe away.

“That’s okay,” Katara said. “It was still just as amusing.” A small scowl settled on his face, but an idea had just occurred to Katara so she ignored it.

“Hey! I wanna show you one of my favourite places in the city.” She stood, a few coins deposited on the table. Together, they walked out of the shop, their shoulders just barely touching. The city was quiet and dark now, fewer people wandering around. Above them, there was a full moon, and Katara could feel its pull.

Katara lead the way towards a large square and absentmindedly chattered about their destination while they made their way through the winding Middle Ring streets.

“I’m so excited to show you the Firelight Fountain. The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the water in the most beautiful way… Combined with the smooth, bright stone of the fountain, it’s a beautiful combination of the elements.” She sighed wistfully and Lee looked at her with affection.

“So, what’s it like being the Avatar?” Lee asked stiffly. Katara thought for a minute, before looking at him.

“Honestly, it kind of sucks,” she said and he looked startled at her response. How could being the Avatar suck? “Everyone expects these big things out of me, but I’m just a kid, still. I haven’t seen my family in six months and I really miss them. I’m stuck with this great burden, and I’m expected to balance out the world when it needs it. Can’t they just get like giant scales or something! Why do they give this responsibility to people?” She huffed through her nose, frustrated again. “...Sorry. You asked, but I know you didn’t want all that...baggage.”

“No… It’s okay. I like that you didn’t hide the truth.” He offered her a quick smile and she returned it.

In the distance, she heard the bubbling of the water signaling they had reached the fountain. Excited, she turned to see the lights and...they weren’t lit.

“I can’t believe it! The lamps aren’t lit!” Katara sighed in disappointment, cursing the order of the Avatar cycle. If she already knew any Firebending, this wouldn’t be a problem. While Katara struggled with her dismay, Lee stared intently at the dark fountain, wheels turning in his head. He knew Katara wanted to show him the fountain. She obviously was struggling with a lot in her life, and Lee wanted to give her a small piece of happiness, even as fleeting as the light reflecting on the water.

“Close your eyes,” he said suddenly. Startled, Katara looked at him with wide eyes. “And don’t peek,” he added as he stepped in front of her. Her brow wrinkled a little in confusion, but she obliged and slowly closed her eyes.

Once her eyes were closed, Lee stepped forward and bowed slightly. His fingers shot out rapidly, firing small fire balls at the candles. The square quickly came to life under his fire and Lee looked proud at his handiwork. Lee stepped to the side again, turning to look at Katara in the faint light.

“Now you can open them,” he said quietly. The fire cast a quiet spell over the square and he refused to break the magic by talking loudly. When her eyes opened, Lee startled at the blueness of them. Even in the dark, they seemed to glow.

“What happened?” she asked, her hushed voice growing a little louder in excitement. “Did you do this?” Not waiting for his answer, she went to the fountain and stuck her hand in the water. The soothing feeling of the push and pull called to her. Knowing what Lee just did for her, she turned to him to return the favor.

“I want to show you something else, Lee.” She turned her back to him and she was silent as she pulled water from the fountain, working through her forms. The water moved around, shapes forming and light reflecting through it. Katara slowly lost herself in the forms she’d been practicing her entire life, and Lee noticed. He never knew water could be just as alive as his fire, but the way Katara moved with it… it was impossible not to believe Katara breathed life into the water.

Katara eventually returned her element to its rightful place a little regretfully and made her way back to Lee. Together they stood side by side, closer now. Without another word, they stared at the fire lit fountain, and the ancient kind of magic it invoked. The night slipped away beneath them, and Katara only noticed how much time had passed when she felt the moon dip below its zenith.

“We should go…” she murmured, still refusing to break the spell. Lee didn’t say a word but he smiled when she hooked her arm through his. The silence between them was comfortable now. The warmth of the night wrapped around Katara and all she could think of was if she’d never become the Avatar, she’d never be here. While being the Avatar was never something she would wish for, it had brought her here. For that, she was grateful.

At the door, the silence became a little more awkward.

“Katara, I--”

In an oddly impulsive act, Katara leaned forward. Lee sucked in a breath before leaning in as well. Their lips touched tentatively, both of them unsure of their actions. Katara moved to deepen the kiss, Lee pulling her close. She knew little of fire, but this boy seemed to contain it in his finger tips as they rested gently on her arms. Lee pulled away first, and Katara was a little hurt. Eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion; she thought the kiss had been going pretty well, despite her lack of reference.

"I should go..." He said, his voice lower. "But I want to see you again."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," she told him with a low laugh. "Toph demands perfection, and it'll be a long time before I get there."

Without another word, he leaned to kiss her again. Too soon, the kiss ended.

"Stop by the Jasmine Dragon whenever you want, there'll always be a table for you." He smiled, kissed her forehead, and turned to leave Katara standing on the porch of her temporary house. She watched him disappear before turning and going inside.

Toph was already asleep when Katara snuck into the room, but Katara swears to this day she heard Toph gag as she drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember to leave kudos and comments! this story is hard bc im shit at planning but heres a new chapter!


	4. Avatar State Yip Yip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! You may have noticed this is the same chapter as before and you would be right AND wrong! In editing my story, I found Katara's Avatar State was done prematurely and with little influence. So I decided to build Zuko and Katara's relationship, as there were a few plots later that now make more sense with this changed event. Due to this change, there will be a few incongruencies in the writing. Please be patient with me, and please feel free to point out mistakes in the comments!

Training took up most of Katara’s days, but when she wasn’t training, she was in the Jasmine Dragon, distracting Lee from his job. (While his uncle seemed to berate him, it was a loving scold and it never seemed too serious).

Days slipped into weeks, weeks into months, and suddenly a year had passed since Katara had started her Earthbending training. Toph swore up and down she couldn’t teach Katara if she was so stubborn and fluid, (“Rocks are SOLID! They don’t move around the rocks, they make the rocks get out of their way!” Toph pounded a circle out of the middle of a large boulder to step through for emphasis.) but she was slowly and surely learning. Toph didn’t appreciate Katara’s rock puns, but they had settled into a life of rocky friendship. But while Toph loved being on her own, Katara loved being around people. Leftover from growing up in a tribe, she told Lee once when the regulars in the shop greeted her warmly.

“It must be hard on you then, living with Toph by yourself,” he said, pouring her some more tea.

“It’s not so bad. I compensate for it in other ways.” She smiled at Uncle as he walked past.

“Lee, your break is over,” he chided gently while setting a new pot of tea in front of Katara. Lee gave a sheepish grin to Katara before grabbing his apron and going back to work with his uncle.

Their days continued like this, until one day the atmosphere changed in the shop when she entered. Confused, she sat at her table. One of the tea boys placed a steaming teapot and cup on her table and beat a hasty retreat. In place of the usual mild chatter, there were hushed whispers. “Fire Lady Ursa” and “Crown Prince” were common words whispered, but their importance was lost on Katara. Politics weren’t her first worry currently as Avatar, but these seemed...different than other politics discussed in the tea shop. As if they held greater meaning than Earth Kingdom politics.

“What’s going on?” Katara turned and asked one of the regular patrons who sat beside her.

“How can you not know? Fire Lady Ursa named Prince Zuko heir to the throne,” he replied in the same hushed tone the rest of the store was using.

“So why all the whispers?” The man’s attention was drawn to Lee as he sat down heavily.

“Because they expect him to turn out crazy like his father, Fire Lord Ozai,” he said in a black tone. The man who’d informed Katara turned around quickly to drink his tea. Lee didn’t say anymore and the lunch continued in a stilted, awkward silence.

Lee stood from his break without a word to Katara, who then left as soon as she’d paid for her tea (though Uncle insisted she never pay; the happiness she brought his nephew was enough).

As she wound her way through the now familiar city, Katara indulged herself and let her ruminate on her feelings about Lee. They’d been...together...for a little under a year now, but lately, he’d been more and more distant with her, curter and more likely to snap at her for silly things. Of course, she never let him get away with it, and she often yelled back at him. It was an interesting spectacle that more than once had made its way into the local papers.

But today was different. He had completely ignored her, though she’d tried her hardest to provoke him, like slurp her noodles and knock her spoon against her cup with more force than necessary. No response.

She thought he’d eventually work out whatever it was he needed to, and go back to being the guy she liked. Two weeks later, he said he had to leave town to help his uncle with a second shop away from here. A hard kiss was the only goodbye she received before he disappeared into alleys of Ba Sing Se. When Katara went to the Jasmine Dragon the next day, Uncle and Lee were gone.

Her chest ached like there was a hole where her heart should have been. Toph commented on her moping one day when she’d slipped up in a warm-up drill and a rock had sailed into her midsection, launching her across the practice field.

“You’re slipping up, lily liver! Where’s your focus?! You have to be grounded to move the ground!” Toph yelled for the millionth time.

“I KNOW!” Katara yelled. Toph stopped and straightened up slightly. Katara rarely yelled at Toph, but those two words carried more venom. Katara scowled deeply before settling back into her stance. Not known for talking about feelings, Toph continued her training. 

When Katara stalked off the field, Toph said nothing. When she swore she heard Katara crying at night, Toph said nothing. Feelings weren’t her forte and she thought if Katara, who was all about feelings, wanted to talk, she’d made Toph sit through another girl talk session. Through the year and a half, Toph had grown to respect Katara and she made her want to...she shuddered to think of it...have  _ friends _ .

But she never came to her Earthbending Master. She became closed off and her bending suffered for it. Even water refused to move as she willed it to. The moon drew closer to fullness and she could feel its pull, but the water still stubbornly stayed weak and limp. The power racing through Katara felt dull and distant. Frustration and anger began to bubble over. Her temper was quick to go off, her words sharp and precise. Toph had never seen Katara so...mean.

The evening of the full moon Katara received a letter as she cleaned up from dinner. The firehawk squawked at the open kitchen window, impatiently waiting for Katara to take the rolled letter from around her leg. She pet the downy head, feeding her a treat and paying her while she absently broke the seal of the rolled parchment. Tears slipped onto the parchment, blurring the ink.

_ Katara, _

_ I’m sorry for leaving so quickly. Everything is so complicated right now… I miss you. _

_ Lee _

The letter ended and Katara stared at it. An odd feeling settled into Katara’s chest. Numbly, she walked from the kitchen, the letter held tightly in her hand still. Part of her wanted to crawl into her bed and cry, but the other part of her begged to dig into the anger she felt. _After all these months, he sends this? How dare he. He could have written sooner or apologized sooner or come back._ Her feet carried her from the kitchen towards the back door. The dull dimness she’d felt in her bending was beginning to fade as the moon tugged at her.

Before she could walk through the open back door, Toph’s voice startled her from an angry spiral.

“I can feel you’re upset, Katara. Anything you want to talk about?” Toph’s voice was unsteady as if she didn’t really want to talk about it. But Katara was hurting and she wanted to help her out.

“No.” Katara ignored the hurt look on her face, even though she knew she’d regret it in the morning. “I’ll be back later.”

“I was only trying to help...” Katara thought she heard Toph say as she slammed the door behind her. 

Instead of the training field where she typically worked off steam, the full moon pulled her to water,  _ her  _ element, to bend out some of this anger and frustration. Katara’s frustration may have started with Lee’s distance and then his hurried disappearance, but it built as her bending refused to function with her blind anger. It built as she remembered she couldn’t go searching for Lee like any other love-struck girl. (Maybe it wasn’t love, but now she’d never know, because of her fucking  _ duties _ .)

“Spirits damn it!” she cried as she sloshed her way into the river. The water slipped around her calves in soothing caresses, but the tickling sensation did nothing to sate her. Ignoring the teachings of Pakku, she pulled the water in jerky movements. It sloshed angrily, a storm without clouds. It would obey  _ her _ , she would not bow it. She was the  _ Avatar _ , who commanded the elements. Not the other way around.

In her brief moment of madness, she slipped into the rhythm of the water perfectly. Her world expanded instantly. She saw the rock beneath her, how the wind curled gently around her, carrying her loose hair. The whole river bent to her command but it wasn’t enough. With a large wave, she moved to the flat expanse of rock beyond the river. The stone shuddered as Katara called for it. Stone pillars pushed her into the sky, where fire and air raged around her. Her limbs moved in styles she hadn’t learned yet, but that fact wasn’t important. She could feel the water in her veins, the push and pull of it.

She could feel  _ power _ and it was intoxicating.

But inside her, a voice much like Sokka’s called out her name. Confused, she turned to where she thought the origins were.

“Sokka?”

Below her, Sokka gasped as his sister stared at him with blazing white eyes. Her voice wasn’t her own. There were thousands of other voices with hers, reverberating through the plateau, in the rocks, and wind, the water whispering and fire hissing with her.

“Katara!”

“Mom?” she said, her dark brows furrowing over the eerie white light of her eyes. 

“Katara, please! I know you’re upset, and whatever you’re upset about is valid but you need to stop! You’re going to destroy Ba Sing Se if you don’t stop right now!” Her mother’s voice broke through to her as Kya finally came to stand beside Sokka and was shocked gasped at the sight before her. Her daughter’s blue eyes were filled with white light and her face was contorted in anger and pain.

“Katara…”

Her contorted face started to slacken and the white light faded slowly, revealing her beautiful eyes.

“Mom?” she whispered again before toppling from the stone tower, all of her energy sapped. Hakoda raced forward to catch her, collapsing with the weight of his grown daughter as she fell into his arms. Kya ran next to him, fretting over what just happened.

Sokka stood rooted to his spot, staring at his sister. He knew she was the Avatar. It was a different thing to see her wield that much power at once due to anger. For the first time in his life, Sokka felt afraid  _ of  _ his sister.

* * *

**** The first thing Katara registered as she slowly woke up was the pain in her limbs.  _ Toph trained me too hard yesterday,  _ Katara thought. But she didn’t remember going to bed…

“Oh!” she said, sitting up quickly. She remembered the letter, the anger, and then... 

“Mom? Dad? What are you–” Her parents’ concerned blue eyes met hers and tears started down her face. As they pulled her into a tight embrace, something raced to meet Katara and she sat up quickly. Those vibrations she recognized. “Toph?”

“What the hell was that? I was trying to explain to your family where you were and then suddenly I feel all this weird stuff, and then they were gone. And then it just stopped,” Toph explained, panting a little from the run.

“I don’t…. I don’t remember?” Katara forced herself back to what happened before. She remembered the letter from Lee, stalking through the house, the angry bending, the  _ power _ … then her brother’s face and her mother’s voice.

“You went into the Avatar state, Katara,” Hakoda said slowly as if not to spook her. “Before you become a fully realized Avatar, it’s only triggered by intense anger, pain, or when the Avatar is in danger.”

“What happened, Katara?” her mother asked, worry evident in her voice. While parts of her memory were missing, Katara knew it was anger that triggered the Avatar state.

“I was...angry about being the Avatar, about not being able to travel at will, about having the entire weight of the world and its balance sitting on my shoulders. And it just...built up, I guess.” Katara shrugged, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. It sounded silly and childish out loud and she knew her parents would be disappointed in her outburst. She was a grown woman, the Avatar, and she’d let a stupid boy get to her.

“Katara....” Her father smoothed her hair, and gently guided her face to look at him. Even with her face turned towards them, Katara’s eyes stayed downcast. “Please look at me, Katara.”

“I could have hurt you, and who knows what else could have happened!” Katara jerked herself away from her family, panicking.  _ What if I had hurt them? _

“Katara, you’ve only known you were the Avatar for about two years. There are mixed feelings to come with it! Not everyone will accept it quickly, or adapt quickly. The Water Tribe isn't known for its adaptability.” Hakoda stood away from Katara, more out of respect for her personal space. Sokka came forward, shock finally wearing off.

“You remember the story they told about Avatar Aang? They said he ran off when he was told he was the Avatar and got lost at sea. A few days later, Aang was found by the Southern Water Tribe whale hunters. I’m sure if you asked the other Avatars, some might have similar stories,” he said, slowly stepping towards his sister. She turned to him, tears clinging to her lashes. While she’d known of the power of the Avatar, it was different to know, and slowly remember, what had been done.

“I’m so scared, Sokka… There’s  _ so much _ power and it’s terrifying,” she said with a shudder, the feeling of the power running through her veins still buzzing.

“Of course there is! There’s ten thousand years worth of power packed behind you, Katara, but that’s why you’re here in Ba Sing Se. To learn to control that power.” Sokka sank to sit next to his sister, pulling her to him. “Don’t get all doomsday-y two years in, Katara. You never give up on  _ anything _ .”

“We all react to major changes differently, and yours just happens to be anger. Of course, that packs quite a punch nowadays…” Hakoda said with a small smile on his face. Kya laughed, and the tension seemed to break. Katara leaned into her dad’s side as they started walking back to the house.

“Nowadays?! She used to throw snowballs so hard as a kid…” Sokka exclaimed, rubbing his forehead in ghost pain.

“Oh come on Sokka, you deserved that!” Katara said, defending her childish actions. As her parents directed the conversation to what had been happening while they’d been separated, Sokka meandered behind them and smiled to himself. His baby sister might be the Avatar, but she was still his baby sister.

* * *

 

“Toph, come on! Mom made breakfast!” Katara tried to nudge Toph awake with a small wave of the stone floor to nudge her bed. In retaliation, Katara was knocked off her feet by a large wave of the stone floor. Grumbling about heavy sleepers and little sisters (and getting the hint), Katara left Toph to her own devices, knowing she’d be down soon enough. 

Toph laid awake on her bed, wondering if this what a family was like. Breakfast at a regular time, banter that was purely friendly and not meant to criticize each other. They had been like this all week, always talking and laughing. Kya always cooked, even attempting to get Toph to cook with her. She seemed to think Toph’s blindness didn’t matter in the kitchen. The motherly affection stung more than the trusting in Toph’s abilities. Neither of them was normal to her. 

Reluctantly, Toph got ready for the day and ventured out to meet the Southern Water Tribe family that had invaded her life.

She heard them before she saw them.

“Sokka, pass me that, will you?” Kya asked. The dishes clinked against each other as they were passed back and forth. It was only when a heavy dish slammed to the table did she notice how full the table was. There were plates of food everywhere. And none of it smelled appetizing.

“Come and eat Toph!” Katara said without turning around.  _ Damn, she’s getting good _ , Toph thought.

“I’ve made Water Tribe dishes,” Kya said with a bright grin Toph could hear.

“But I made the foods you like. I know you aren’t fond Water Tribe food.” The kindness of her statement made Toph’s heart clench. No one thought of her when they did things.

“I don’t see why! This stuff is amazing,” Sokka said through a mouth full of seal dumplings.

“Oh, you should try this noodle place in town. It’s amazing! And they serve the greatest little cookies,” Katara gushed to her family as Toph sat roughly between Katara and Kya. 

“Katara, what is it that Boomerang Boy has stuffed in his mouth?” Toph said roughly.

“Those are seal dumplings, and they’re delicious. You want some?” Katara scooped a few on her plate before she finished her questions and Toph was grateful. She didn’t want to have to ask.

“Toph, would you like some tea?” Hakoda asked from across the table.

“Yeah,” she said before starting to shove food into her mouth. Obviously not affected by her lack of manners, Hakoda passed the tea to Kya who poured the cup. Breakfast continued around Toph without a problem. Though she would never admit to it, Toph felt relieved. And happy.

Once breakfast was finished, Katara helped clean up before joining Toph for lessons.

“Ready, lily liver?” Toph asked, not wanting to talk about yesterday or this morning. But Katara had other ideas first.

“Toph, thanks for helping me master Earthbending. I can't think of a better teacher–”

“Because there isn’t one!” Katara rolled her eyes but Toph didn’t know that.

“To help me learn to control the elements and make me a better person too. So thanks,” Katara finished lamely. There was an awkward beat of silence before Toph opened her mouth.

“You done being mushy, Sugar Queen? Because you still haven’t mastered Earth and I don’t want to teach you the rest of my life.” She quickly slid into her stance, waiting for Katara to do the same.

“And what do you want to do with your life,  _ Sifu Toph _ ?” Katara mirrored her and they worked through forms and basic moves together as a warm-up. 

“I want to travel the world and then retire to a long forgotten corner of the world and ignore  _ everyone _ !” 

“And you have that figured out at thirteen?” Katara laughed, surprised. Her life was planned until she mastered the elements, but then it was up to her.

That thought stilled her. She would be in charge of her life and would make decisions on her own. It was weird. Until she had known about being the Avatar, her parents were the ones who made decisions. Then the White Lotus prepared her way to the elements.

And then what?

“Toph, after I master earth, what do you plan on doing?” Toph dodged the rock thrown at her before tossing one back. While Katara struggled to redirect it, Toph thought seriously.

“I don’t know. I don’t have a family to return to, like you. I guess I’ll become a teacher.” She shrugged and kicked a pillar up to throw off Katara’s balance. Katara almost toppled off, but fashioned boots from rock to keep her steady, similar to the way she had in her fight against Pakku. The conversation, however, was dropped as Toph increased her attacks, forcing Katara to work on instinct.

By the time they concluded their day, Katara had a few new bruises and a new understanding of the earth.

* * *

Katara’s family didn’t stay long, only a couple of weeks. But it made all the difference in Katara’s bending. She was more confident and trusted her abilities, especially after her outbreak. Toph offhandedly mentioned Katara wasn’t bad “for a Sugar Queen.”

When her family finally did leave, Kya gave Toph a gentle hug. Hakoda laid a hand on her shoulder and Sokka pouted from a distance; Toph had been torturing him the entire time. Katara cried as they set off at the pier, and was quiet when she returned to the now lifeless house. 

Though her family had been a good way to cheer her up, she had to focus even more on her bending. Katara agreed with Toph; she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life on Earth. She still had two more elements after this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as per usual, please leave kudos and comments of any kind!
> 
> questions? message me on little--feather.tumblr.com !


	5. The Kyoshi Warriors and A Spirit Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara goes out on Official Avatar Business for the first time, but it's not stopping petty arguments like she always imagined. Spirits are taking children, and as the bridge between the worlds, Katara has to find out why, stop the spirits and prevent them from becoming angrier, and return the children safely. All before dinner.

In the middle of her Earthbending training, Katara dreamt of an island in the middle of the sea. Children disappeared into the black and parents cried as the owls called out the hour. When she awoke the next morning, Katara felt the need to _help_.

The next day, Katara and Toph were packed and on a course to Kyoshi Island.

“Aren’t you excited, Toph?” Katara said, bouncing on her feet. Subconsciously, she shifted through Waterbending forms, her legs moving of their own accord while she faced the ocean. Once glance back at Toph gave Katara her answer.

“No, I’m _sick_.” Toph was slightly green in the face; she claimed the seasickness was because she couldn’t see a thing on a boat. Katara, however, was excited. Salt and wind blew through Katara’s hair, the water tugging at her heart. The ocean was familiar to her and it called her name. Avatar or not, she was a Waterbender first and foremost. The push and pull were stronger that night, and she felt the need to push and pull along with it. The water around the boat responded easily and the boat sped through the water, almost skimming the surface in their momentum. By midday the following morning, their boat reached Kyoshi’s reef. Katara slowly raised the tides to beach the small boat, which Toph was very grateful for. She jumped onto the sand, yelling about “Ground! Sweet ground!”

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” A husky female voice drew their attention. When Katara turned, her vision was filled with green and gold. Five female warriors stood in front of her, fans of gold close to her face.

“I’m Katara of the Southern--Avatar Katara. I’m the Avatar. And I had a dream that had crying parents and children being sucked into darkness?” Katara offered, wanting to avoid any fighting if possible.

“You know about the disappearing children?” the same voice from earlier asked tentatively. The Warriors all shared a look and silently agreed to entertain this notion.

“Come with us, Avatar, and we’ll tell you our story.”

* * *

“And the children are just gone?” Katara asked, wanting to fully understand this before she divined some solution from her Avatar Powers, or whatever.

“They disappear in the night and no one notices until the morning. The trails are cold, and no amount of guarding keeps them safe. We believe there are spirits at work, but we can’t understand why.” Suki looked down at her hands, angry. As if glaring at her hands could give her the power to save these children.

“Maybe it’s not a spirit?” she suggested. Katara had realized halfway into Suki’s explanation that she was way in over her head.

“There is no request for ransom or an ultimatum. The only conclusion is the spirits.” Unfortunately, Suki had a finality to her voice that Katara realized was her All the Time voice. Sheesh.

“Well… Then I guess I’ll have to go talk them?” Katara had never really meditated before. It wasn’t really her thing to sit still. _But there’s a first time for everything,_ _I guess._

“Would you like to join us for dinner?” Suki asked. “Who knows how long it might take, and it’s probably not good to meditate on an empty stomach.” While Katara was internally panicking, Toph was agreeing heartily. (She was a lot like Sokka in that aspect.)

Dinner flew by Katara, the conversation flowing around her like a rock in water. Thoughts swirled around her and tried to consume her, but she pushed them away as if bending them. She would meditate after dinner, hopefully, and be able to contact the spirit and leave tomorrow morning! Nerves jumbled together as she realized this was her first “job” as the Avatar. And nerves were not as easy to bend away as thoughts.

As she settled into a lotus position in the garden, Suki came out, dressed in simple pants and a tunic.

“What are–”

“In case it _isn't_ a spirit, someone needs to protect you,” she explained, mirroring Katara on the grass. A small smile spread across Katara’s face at the fierceness in her expression.

“You sound like my brother.” Suki huffed but never commented. Katara closed her eyes and evened her breathing. Thoughts swiftly flowed past her and after maybe an hour, she opened her eyes. Frowning, she looked at Suki and stood up.

“I don’t think it worked.” Confused pause as Suki never looks up.

“Suki are you okay?” Katara moved towards her to touch her shoulder, only to be mildly horrified when her hand fell through her shoulder. “What the–”

 _You’re in the Spirit World_. Vague memories of what all it entails drifted to the surface and Katara took a deep breath and accepted her fate, “Well, I’m here for a reason.” 

After leaving the garden, she wandered around the vacant town, confused. The light was different and energy buzzed around her in a completely new way. It was exhilarating. As she made her way past the main village of Kyoshi, she saw a vaguely blue sky bison happily munching on vaguely blue hay in the distance. Approaching with trepidation, Katara was only met with a bored roar from the bison and he never moved to do more than take a bite of his meal.

“Hello… are you the one stealing the children?” A smile tugged at her lips as she reached up to brush his forehead. He groaned in indignation at her in response but closed his eyes as she petted him.

“He likes you,” a deep voice said from above. Katara jumped, starting to pull water from her pouch. When nothing responded, she was confused, and it must have been evident on her face, because the voice responded, “It’s okay. Your bending doesn’t work here, but you’re safe.”  With mild fear, she stepped back to raise her head and see an Air Nomad reclining on the back of his bison, spinning marbles in his hands, a large smile on his face. 

“Avatar Aang!” Her smile matched his, relieved to see someone she was familiar with. At least through stories and history.

“You’re here about the children,” he said matter of factly. Katara took in Aang, his Air Nomad clothes, his gently weathered face, all of it. He seemed like a kind uncle who would play dolls with his niece all day, just because she asked. With a gust of air, he floated down from his bison, coming to stand in front of Katara. His smile never left his face, but Katara didn't have a chance to be blinded by it as she noticed his bending.

“I thought–”

“Ah, but I’m in the Spirit World to stay, so my bending stays with me. And I need it from time to time. Things are crazy here.” He laughed and Katara’s heart swelled. It was a good, wholesome laugh. Avatar Aang looked to be only 40 or so, vaguely wrinkled and salt-and-pepper beard to match.

“I have so many questions… how do I even approach the missing children situation?” She started pacing, her hands gesturing. “I just meditated my way into the Spirit World without a concrete plan and so I’m here and confused and have no idea what to do next?” With a huff, she turned back to a slightly amused but ever patient Aang.

“Follow the spirits. They know where to take you,” he said in a mysterious tone. The heavy atmosphere was broken with a hearty laugh. Katara smiled and bowed deeply to him, looking through her eyelashes to see him bowing just as deeply. As he stood, his voice took on that ancient tone he had only moments ago.

“But remember, be careful Avatar Katara. The spirits are easily influenced by human emotion. Be calm and steady as Earth, but adaptable like Water and Air yet quick like Fire.” His gentle smile and his deep words were out of balance with the other, something Katara found utterly ironic.

“I don’t understand?” Irony or not, she was still confused by Aang's words. 

“There are evil spirits like Koh the Face Stealer. He will attempt to influence you and push you to react so he may steal the face of the Avatar. Many are peaceful and wish to live out their eternity in such a way. But be wary." Aang paused and looked at Katara intently. He cracked a smile as Katara bowed to him, ever respectful. Laughing at the stiffness of the situation, Aang seemed to brighten the entire Spirit World.

His laughter floated around her as he disappeared in a disk of air, the sky bison with him. Confusion covered Katara in a cloud after Aang disappeared. What was she to get from _that_ mess of wisdom?

_Just start walking._

He _had_ said the spirits knew what they were doing… and so Katara started walking. Her eyes drank in the unusual and beautiful sights. Odd creatures walked and flew and skated. Odd plants shimmered and talked. Once, Katara ran into a tree who then proceeded to reprimand her for not paying attention. _She_ wasn’t going anywhere, so it was Katara’s job to pay attention! Katara humbly apologized. Her apology was accepted with a harrumph and a grumble about measly humans and their disrespect.

Katara stayed rattled, but the landscape slowly shifted as she walked, changing from meadows to forest to swamp before coming to a stop in front of a library. She made her way to the door, only to bump into a man holding scrolls.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, miss! These scrolls were too high for me, so I missed you. Are you alright?” He asked. With one hand, he juggled the scrolls to adjust his hat so he could hopefully see over the stack of scrolls in hand.

“I’m fine. I’m Avatar Katara,” she offered, bowing to him. With an astonished look on his face, he bowed suddenly, dislodging all the scrolls in his hands. The man mumbled something about it being an honor, truly. Still, he chuckled nervously as he picked up his scrolls.

“What are you doing here…?” She paused as she realized he hadn’t given his name. They were eye-level when he looked up, surprised to see the  _Avatar_ helping him pick up his dumped scrolls.

“Professors Zei, former head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University. I spend all my time in this library, but Wan Shi Tong lets me take scrolls and books out sometimes." Zei stood with the scrolls stacked precariously in his arms, determined to keep going.

“Wan Shi Tong?” Katara helped him with his scrolls, taking half the load from his arms. After a brief bow of gratitude, Zei started walking and explaining to Katara everything about the library.

“He’s the great spirit of knowledge! His library exists in both the Spirit World and ours. I spent my life looking for it,” he says wistfully. “In fact, my very last voyage was into the Si Wong Desert to try and find it. I died in the desert and when wandering the Spirit World, I happened upon it.” He laughed, at himself and the irony. “Imagine my surprise.” He pushed open the door with his shoulder, the sound echoing through the vast hallways and never ending ceilings. Mosaics and painting and carvings decorated the walls while shelves dripped ancient knowledge in various forms.

“So everything ever is in this library...” Amazement colored her voice as she spun around to take in the scope of the library.

“There is a vast collection of knowledge here, one that will take me many lifetimes to fully understand. Thank the Spirits they granted me the ability to spend eternity here!” He laughed and Katara smiled. Zei was a good man who only wanted to fully understand the world. Maybe his time here had taught him about spirits who might capture children...

“How does Wan Shi Tong get all of this here?” Katara mused quietly. As she followed Zei she saw texts older than the world, scrolls with instructions and recipes and wanted posters, a million artifacts of different eras and cultures. Sculptures lined the end of each row of any animal in existence, and some, she noted, that weren’t. One tall fox-like creature stood on two feet, looking down at her with a smirk. Drawn instantly to it, she brushed her hand over the smooth gray marble, smiling slightly.

“Foxes bring in new knowledge often,” Zei explained as he handed out scrolls and books and artifacts to the said foxes. They barely noticed her as they went about their tasks. “They also serve as librarians, to collect and catalog the items here. Ask them anything, and they’ll bring it to you or show you the way.”

Katara nodded absently, brushing her hands over the other statues. “Is it alright if I wander a little?” she asked as she turned back to look at Zei. He made a small noise as he examined a scroll in his hands, before turning to look at her.

“Hm? Oh, yes! As long as you are respectful of the knowledge you gain, everything will be fine. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’ll be in the Water Section building a miniature Foggy Swamp.” With a grin and a sly look in his eyes, he disappeared down a row of glass-fronted shelves of rocks and bones.

 _Foggy Swamp? Sounds fake,_ Katara thought as she looked around the library for the dusty brown foxes that had wandered around early but found now.

“Excuse me...um, Fox Librarian? I need some help…” she said to the empty air. Feeling silly after a prolonged period of time, she hesitantly started again. “I want to learn more about the Spirits and how they interact with the humans please.”

A small, high-pitched barking noise drew her attention to the end of the aisle. The fox sat patiently on their hind legs, looking at her as if expecting something.

“Oh!” Katara realized. “You want me to follow you.” Mumbling to herself, Katara walked towards the fox, who then jumped up and slowly trotted away. Minutes passed as Katara followed the fox in silence, admiring the library as they walked.

Katara assumed she’d reached her destination, as the fox sat for a minute before running off. She was confused by the dark room, with only faint blue light emanating from...somewhere. As she approached the light, a beautiful tapestry came into view beside her. A trio of people in black and purple cloaks stood on rolling smoke, masks hidden in their hoods.

“Kemurikage…?” she mumbled to herself as she inched closer to the tapestry. The light moved and Katara saw the characters more clearly. She absently thanked the light ball as she read the history.

“You’re welcome, Avatar.” The dulcet voice scared Katara who screamed and blew a funnel of air at the sound. Standing in front of the tapestry was a Kemurikage, smoke rolling from cloak in lazy waves.

“I– I don’t understand. How are you here?” Katara gestured between the tapestry and the shadow woman.

“Wan Shi Tong may know ten thousand things, but the Ancient Ones know more,” the smoke replied cryptically.

“Then maybe you know what I’m looking for. Someone is stealing children from Kyoshi Island, and they leave no trace.” Katara looked up at the spirit, whose robe was even with the end of the tapestry six feet in the air.

“The Kemurikage haven’t stepped foot in the human world since our beginning. Do not assume it was us, Avatar.” Her tone became imperious and Katara felt fear slide down her spine as cold sweat.

“I don’t. I just know there’s a spirit disappearing with children, and you happened to be the first spirit to...appear. I apologize if I have offended you, Ancient One.” Katara bowed, but the shadows continued to move and talk.

“I cannot help you, young Avatar. While I exist in the Spirit World, I prefer my tapestry. Too much happens everywhere else, and it is calm there. Follow the light, it will lead you to what you seek.” With final bows, the shadow and smoke dissipated into the silver and purple tapestry, leaving Katara oddly cold.

Ignoring her feelings, the ball of light sped off into the distance, leaving Katara in the dark:

“Hey wait up!” she cried, racing after it.

Sometimes she caught glimpses of the tapestries, seeing large spirits painted on it. But the light moved faster than she wanted and she ignored them, promising herself she’d come back to read and interact with them. 

She turned around after staring wistfully after the last tapestry with a woman in flowing white clothes, red paint in swooping lines across her face only to see darkness. While she was distracted, the light had disappeared, leaving her in the dark.

“That’s not fair! I asked you to help me find out what’s taking the children!” Frustrated, katara let out a groan and spun in a circle for a minute. Caught up in her head, she didn’t hear the rustling of feathers.

“Who are you?” a haughty voice asked. Startled, Katara sank into a defensive position. The voice laughed. “Don’t even try, human. I know of every style there is.”

“Who are you?” Katara demanded, not dropping her stance.

“I asked first,” they said with petulance. Katara rolled her eyes before stating her Official Title (that still felt weird.)

“And I ask again, who are you?” She would normally bow after an introduction, but she didn’t know who this was or what they wanted. They still hid in the shadows, so all Katara could do was identify their voice. Another rustle drew Katara’s focus, but before she could blink, a large owl face filled her vision.

“I am Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things. What are you doing in my library?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was kind of an experiment? i got the idea from the comics (which are gr9 and everyone should read them) and it morphed from there. maybe its good, idk
> 
> i also have several chapters planned out, but who knows when they'll get written. i'm better at the planning than the writing. it's looking like it'llbe 15 or so chapters for sure now with the ideas i've got. hopefully yall stick around!\
> 
> tell me what you think in the comments~~
> 
> as always, leave kudos and comments, and come ask me questions at little--feather.tumblr.com


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